The Preliminary Plans 



shaped curves. Let the woody promontories be measured, figur- 

 ing how far each one projects into the meadow and noting how 

 Nature has done its planting, how far one tree is from the 

 other, and how harmonious the whole plan is. 



After having sketched into a rough map all of the trees with 

 their names and characteristics, the different shrub-growths should 

 next be similarly studied and sketched in, especially noting how 

 they are distributed. After these, and any other data which 

 seem to be of importance in the general effect, are carefully 

 platted, let this rough sketch be laid out to scale and reduced or 

 enlarged to fit the plan for the proposed grounds. If the propor- 

 tions of the original are faithfully carried out and imitated in 

 the form and outlines of the lawns and in the character and 

 planting of the trees and undergrowths, the result will be a 

 delight to the owner and an artistically laid out property. 



There are numerous instances of such spots in our Redwood 

 Forests and in the Sierras. Some of the sweetest landscapes are 

 to be found in these mountain meadows, and they always afford 

 the greatest delight to the eye of taste when they are unexpect- 

 edly discovered, enriched, as they are, with beds and tufts of 

 wildflowers, grasses and ferns. 



The form and outlines of the different groups of shelter-belts 

 being platted, the next points to decide will be what to plant in 

 each, and what character of picture is desired. This is treated 

 in detail in chapter 2, but, when preparing the plan of planting, 

 it should be considered of the utmost importance to break and 

 soften the hard lines of groups by planting single trees apart 

 from the main bodies in the groups. 



